A study published by Mayo Clinic found almost 70 percent of Americans are on at least one pharmaceutical. Antibiotics top the list, followed by antidepressants and pain killers. Fluoroquinolones (also called “quinolone” or just “quin”) are one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in the USA. In 2011 a staggering 26.9 million prescriptions for oral and IV fluoroquinolone antibiotics were prescribed for routine infections.

Cipro, the ‘stellar’ fluoroquinolone burst into the media spotlight during the so-called anthrax scare on the heels of 9/11. Other popular fluoroquinolones are Levaquin, Avelox, and Floxin. Fluoroquinolones are actually deadly indiscriminate chemotherapy drugs, which Big Pharma reinvented as antibiotics and aggressively marketed.

Although all Big Pharma antibiotics are problematic and dangerous, fluoroquinolones are in a class all their own. Their potential for serious, often permanent harm and even death are becoming legendary -not because of FDA, or Big Pharma oversight, but because those who have been severely injured and disabled by fluoroquinolones are speaking out in droves on numerous internet forums, communities and facebook groups.

In 2008, the FDA (Fraud and Death Agency) reluctantly required some fluoroquinolone antibiotics to include a black-box warning; ironically, Cipro now carries two warnings. In fact, half of all fluoroquinolones have been removed from the market due to their dismal safety records, yet those remaining have yet to be proven any safer.

Black Box Warning Omissions

Fluoroquinolones are “… actually capable of unleashing an entire SYNDROME of systemic toxicity upon the patient which is often referred to by victims as “floxing” or being “floxed.” Others refer to the condition as “fluoroquinolone toxicity syndrome.” Regardless of what you want to call it, it is absolutely devastating and commonly includes 30-40 different adverse symptoms all being suffered simultaneously and often lasting for YEARS.”

According to a 2013 FDA report, “Levaquin, Cipro, and Avelox may cause Mitochondrial Toxicity.” And “Mitochondrial Toxicity is implicated in serious, life-threatening neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and ALS.”

Jeff’s story: In 2009, Jeff, a healthy 30 year old was prescribed Cipro for a minor infection. He took one round of Cipro (a mere twelve pills over a six day period) and shortly thereafter he entered the “fluoroquinolone Twilight Zone”; A ‘Dantaesque’ inferno of inexplicable pain, with bouts of escalating symptomology, replete with excruciating mental suffering. He’s been crippled and essentially bedridden ever since.

Fluoroquinolone Damage

1. Fluoride, the core component of fluoroquinolones, is a notorious neurotoxin. It easily crosses the blood-brain-barrier causing injury to the CNS (central nervous system).

2. They harm the mitochondria by interfering with the DNA (mtDNA) replication process, which causes mitochondrial damage and creates oxidative stress leading to cell dysfunction or death, which can cause cancer!

3. They kill cancerous cells as well as bacteria, but they also indiscriminately kill cells throughout the body including neurons and lymphocytes (immune system cells).

4. Fluoroquinolones are essentially chemotherapy drugs, causing many of the same side-effects as chemotherapy, including lower white blood cell counts.

5. Fluoroquinolones destroy connective tissue, especially tendons.

6. From ciproispoison.com: … Cipro-induced toxicity syndrome wreaks absolute havoc on every part of a person’s body–every tendon and joint in the body can become affected, every organ (including the brain), peripheral nervous system (resulting in severe and potentially permanent pain conditions, dystonia, muscle weakness or autonomic dysfunction), … long lasting or permanent central nervous system damage (including relentless insomnia, memory problems, random panic, depersonalization, psychosis), … and on and on… .

Sadly, a small but growing number of “floxed” victims are committing suicide to escape the constant pain, extreme neuropathy, insomnia, and disability from which death seems their only answer. Of course, many of these people are completely immersed in the mainstream medical system. That’s how they got floxed in the first place.

There could be solutions from experienced homeopaths or elsewhere outside Big Pharma’s medical monopoly. Meanwhile, avoid them regardless of what your doctor says. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are not medicines. They are Russian roulette.